Researchers have found a way to hack the OpenSSL verification software used in many VPNs and Web servers with forged certificates. The vulnerability affects a specific set of cryptographic X.509 keys known as PKCS #1 v1, and could allow an attacker to have a non-legitimate and forged certificate accepted as real, compromising and unpatched system. Versions of the software from 0.9.7j to 0.9.8b are said to be at risk, and the open source project has recommended that anyone using the software should update it immediately.

Novell has confirmed the receipt of a notice from the Nasdaq stock market warning that its shares will be delisted from the exchange after the software company delayed filing its most recent quarterly report to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The vendor said Wednesday that it will appeal the decision and request a hearing before a Nasdaq listing qualifications panel.

The California attorney general said on Friday there was no evidence yet linking Hewlett-Packard Chief Executive Mark Hurd to any criminal wrongdoing, as scrutiny grew over his role in the PC maker’s probe of a boardroom leak. "We don’t yet have any evidence that would lead to the CEO as one of those that committed the crimes," Attorney General Bill Lockyer told CNBC in an interview. "But we’re not complete yet. We haven’t finished the investigation."

Shares of Hewlett-Packard fell as much as 5 percent on Sept. 21 after a newspaper report indicated that Chief Executive Mark Hurd may be linked to a controversial internal investigation of boardroom media leaks. The Washington Post, in its Thursday edition, wrote that Hurd had approved a "sting" operation on a reporter as part of the investigation, citing an email by a company lawyer.

Hoping to slow a growing storm of criticism over a controversial leak probe, Hewlett-Packard said that Patricia Dunn would step down immediately as chairman and board member, to be replaced by CEO Mark Hurd. However, Hurd also confirmed on Friday that he knew about several key phases of the investigation and attended meetings at which the investigation was discussed. Hurd said he was e-mailed a report summarizing the investigation but that he did not read it.

Google has refused to comply with a Belgian court decision that required the company to publish the original text of the ruling on its sites, calling that requirement "unnecessary" and "disproportionate." Earlier this month, the Belgian Court of First Instance ordered the Internet search engine to stop publishing content from Belgian newspapers without permission or payment of fees. Local newspaper editors argued that Google’s popular news site, which features small photos and excerpts from news reported elsewhere, stole traffic from individual newspapers’ sites. Google complied with the ruling, which threatened to impose daily fines of about $1.27 million against the company. Google is removing the Belgian newspapers from its indexes.

Mozilla’s new security chief won’t say outright whether Firefox is more secure than Internet Explorer. Window Snyder, formerly of Microsoft, now heads up security at Mozilla, the company best known for its open-source Firefox Web browser. While Microsoft is often criticized over the security of its products, Mozilla is seen in a more favorable light. Yet Firefox and other Mozilla products have their share of security problems.

The Commerce Department has lost 1,137 laptop computers since 2001, most of them assigned to the Census Bureau, officials said Thursday night. The Census Bureau, the main collector of information about Americans, lost 672 computers. Of those, 246 contained some personal data, the department said in a statement. However, no personal information from any of the missing computers has been known to have been improperly used, the department said. The number of people affected by the equipment losses could not be determined, the department said.

Hewlett-Packard, the company currently under government investigation for privacy violations, is co-sponsor of an award for "privacy innovation." Nominees are currently being accepted for the fourth annual HP/IAPP Privacy Innovation award, which Hewlett-Packard gives in conjunction with the Maine-based International Association of Privacy Professionals. According to the award’s Web site, the prize was created to honor "strong and unique contributions to the privacy industry."

Hewlett Packard CEO Mark Hurd will testify at a Congressional hearing about the tactics used in the company’s controversial leak probe next Thursday. Hurd joins a roster that includes several individuals involved in the HP probe–including outgoing chairwoman Patricia Dunn and chief ethics officer Kevin Hunsaker. HP said Thursday the Securities and Exchange Commission has requested information from the computer maker about the leak probe. In an SEC filing, HP revealed the government is seeking data "relating to the resignation of Mr. Tom Perkins from HP’s Board of Directors" and "investigations conducted by HP or any of its directors into possible sources of leaks of HP confidential information."